Mop for use in cleaning small household utensils or the like



M. A. CUERVO Feb. 1, 1966 MOP FOR USE IN CLEANING SMALL HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS OR THE LIKE Filed March 10, 1964 FIG. 5

FIG 2 FIG. I

FIG. 3

Banana-Imam FIG. 8

FIG. 7

INVENTOR MARIO A. CUERVO ATTORNEY-i United States Patent 3,231,921 MOP FOR USE IN CLEANING SMALL HOUSE- HOLD UTENSILS OR THE LIKE Mario A. Cuervo, 5260 SW. 78th St., Miami, Fla. Filed Mar. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 350,897 Claims. (Cl. -244) This invention relates to a mop. More particularly, this invention relates to a dish sponge or mop to wash small household utensils.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved mop constructed in such a way that obviates the scratching or damaging on the surfaces of pots, dishes, etc. because of the formation given to the foam material used.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mop whose foam material is secured to the handle in a manner that avoids separation or loosening of these parts from each other, even under a continuous and heavy use of the mop.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mop whose construction facilitates a suitable insertion into cylindrical vessels, thus achieving the cleanest washings possible on the bottom of that type of utensils.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mop whose foam material body has longitudinal cuts or grooves that facilitates its compression and cover a large rubbing field, the mop rendering, for the reasons, a full and clean washing of utensils.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the specification and the claims which follow.

Several types of mop for the above purposes are well known in the art, diifering from each other in the manner the mop is constructed and assembled. Many of these mops are subject to the following two main inconven iences, to wit: (a) the handle is inefficiently covered or protected by the foam material and, for this reason, scratches or damages the utensils to be washed, and (b) the foam material is improperly assembled to the handle and, for this reason, the separation or loosening occurs of these parts from each other, the mop becoming a useless item.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an improved mop that obviates the above described defects and limitations of mops of prior art.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the drawings wherein similar elements in the several figures are designated by the same reference characters.

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the mop of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the means for securing the handle to the body of impregnable foam material.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the foam material body of the mop.

FIGURE 4 is a lateral view of a notched, disc-shaped piece, acting as a plug, inserted in the base end of the foam material body and that covers the external means that assembles the foam material body to the handle of the mop. r.

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the handle of the mop.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view of said handle.

FIGURE 7 is a bottom view of the foam material body apart from the handle.

FIGURE 8 is a top view of the piece shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the mop of this invention comprises a handle 1, a foam material body 2 and a notched, disc-shaped piece 3, formed from the same foam material as the body 2. In this respect, the foam ma- 3,231,921 Patented Feb. 1, 1966 terial, from which the body 2 and the disc-like member or piece 3 are formed, is an impregnable foam material, preferably sponge. The handle 1 is cylindrical and presents at its lower end a series of salient parts 4 in the form of teeth and an axial bore 5 of small extent. The lower portion of handle 1 is formed on its external Wall with longitudinal cuts or grooves 6, as shown in FIGURE 5, to form a roughened surface.

The external wall of the foam material body 2 is formed with a series of longitudinal cuts or grooves 7, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 7, the grooves being arranged in circumferentially spaced fashion around the external wall of the peripheral surface of the body. At the lower end or face of body 2, said longitudinal cuts 7 terminate in recesses 8. Said body 2 has a bore along its longitudinal axis terminating above its lower end, this bore having a large diameter, as indicated at 9 in FIG. 7. A small diameter bore 10 communicates with the bore 9 and extends from the middle of the body to the lower end thereof.

The notched, disc-shaped piece 3, of same material as body 2, is thin, perforated by a central bore 12 of small diameter and is formed with radial notches, which are circumferentially spaced around the periphery thereof, so as to form a series of circumferenti-ally arranged fleX ible fingers 11, as shown in FIGURE 8.

The assembling of the mop of this invention is as follows. A suitable adhesive is applied to the lower portion of handle 1 and this is then inserted into body 2 passing through bore 9 until the teeth 4 dig into said body 2. The longitudinal cuts or grooves 6 provide the handle with a friction surface which with the adhesive and the embedded position given to the teeth 4 into said body 2, in combination, renders a secure fixation of handle 1 to body 2.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the disc-like piece 3 is employed, in connecting with a mechanical fastening means, to further secure the body 2 to the handle 1 and to compress the lower end of the body, so that it assumes a spherical shape. The fastening means includes a nail 13, which is inserted through the central aperture 12 of the disc-like member 3 and which is driven into the bore 5 in the lower end portion of the handle 1, with a washer 14 being provided to be interposed between the head of the nail and the central portion of the disc-like piece 3. This arrangement causes the lower end of the body to assume the spherical shape, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, because of the grooves 7 and the recesses 8, with the fingers 11 cooperating with the lower end of the body to complete the end and present a complete spherical lower face.

The operation of the described mop according to the invention is as follows. Holding the mop by handle 1, the foam material body 2 is impregnated with a suitable solution and then rubbed against the utensil to be washed. When cylindrical utensils are washed, as, for example, a glass, the body 2 will easily penetrate into same because of its construction, and will easily reach, and safely rub, the bottom of the glass. This is due to the nails head being efliciently covered or protected by the notched, disc-shaped piece 3 acting as a plug at lower end of body 2.

It is evident that the foregoing description, being merely illustrative, does not limit this invention, and that it is possible to alter the embodiment of this description within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A mop for use in cleaning small household utensils or the like, comprising a rigid handle, a solid cylindrical body of impregnable foam material having an upper end and a lower end, said body having an axial bore formed U therein and extending through its upper end and terminating above its lower end, said handle having a lower end portion fitted in said bore, said body being formed on its peripheral surface with circumferentially spaced, radial grooves extending axially from the upper end to the lower end, means formed of impregnable foam material defining a circumferentially spaced series of individual flexible fingers positioned at the center of the lower end of the body, and mechanical means attaching said finger defining means to the lower end portion of the handle to attach the body to the lower end portion of the handle and to place the lower end of the body under compression so that the lower end of the body is drawn inwardly with the fingers being bent and cooperating with the lower end of the body to form an association therewith a spherical configuration of the lower end of the body, the finger defining means enclosing said mechanical attaching means.

2. A mop as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower end portion of the handle terminates in axial teeth embedded in the portion of the body below the bore therein.

3. A mop as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower end portion of the handle is formed on its peripheral surface with axial grooves and is bonded to the contacting wall of the bore.

4. A mop as claimed in claim 1 wherein said attaching means includes the provision of a central aperture in the finger defining means, said lower end portion of the handle having an axial bore formed therein and fastening element extended through said aperture into the bore in the lower end portion of the handle.

5. A mop as claimed in claim 4 wherein said fastening element includes a nail.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,628,381 2/1953 Schatf 15-2444 2,789,305 4/1957 Weil 15-223 X 3,149,360 6/1964 Lend 15143 X FOREIGN PATENTS 815,249 4/ 1937 France. 291,675 6/ 1928 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MOP FOR USE IN CLEANING SMALL HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING A RIGID HANDLE, A SOLID CYLINDRICAL BODY OF IMPREGNABLE FOAM MATERIAL HAVING AN UPPER END AND A LOWER END, SAID BODY HAVING AN AXIAL BORE FORMED THEREIN AND EXTENDING THROUGH ITS UPPER END AND TERMINATING ABOVE ITS LOWER END, SAID HANDLE HAVING A LOWER END PORTION FITTED IN SAID BORE, SAID BODY BEING FORMED ON ITS PERIPHERAL SURFACE WITH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, RADIAL GROOVES EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM THE UPPER END TO THE LOWER END, MEANS FORMED OF IMPREGNABLE FOAM MATERIAL DEFINING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SERIES OF INDIVIDUAL FLEXIBLE FINGERS POSITIONED AT THE CENTER OF THE LOWER END OF THE BODY, AND MECHANICAL MEANS ATTACHING SAID FINGER DEFINING MEANS TO THE LOWER END PORTION OF THE HANDLE TO ATTACH THE BODY TO THE LOWER END PORTION OF THE HANDLE AND TO 